The use of African languages in modern sectors is directly related to their modernization and with the needs of the population. In fact, according to the methods of cultural terminology, the creation of a terminology in any given technical sector needs a precise identification of its socio-professional context dealing with this terminology. In fact, the future users of the terminology must be identified so that they can contribute to the creation of the terminology and so that they can come to a consensus regarding the choice of culturally integrated terms. Some examples enable us to better understand this approach.

Communication, more precisely television and radio, is one of the sectors that needs to be influenced by African languages. In 1984 in the Central African Republic and Chad, training sessions for journalists enabled them to perfect their professional skills as well as their linguistic competence. In the case of the Central African Republic, audiovisual communication terminology was created and put into use by the journalists themselves following their training.

In Cameroon, the application of cultural terminology methods enabled them to create terminology for cotton crop destroying insects in the Peuhl language. This terminology was then used in the training of agricultural managers who distribute the work of farmers. The agricultural managers as well as the farmers worked closely on the terminology work carried out by our colleague, the African linguist Henry TOURNEUX, researcher of LLACAN.

Religion is one of the most demanding domains, but teaching is just as demanding, whether it is teaching adults to read and write or educating small children. Numerous teaching methods using African languages have been carried out in Africa with varying levels of success, especially with respect to the fluctuating commitment of the politicians who provide scant financial resources for these methods. In this field as well as in written literature, commerce, administration, technology, and science, the use of African languages is still largely informal, even virtual. Terminological progress in this direction can only accompany and reflect the socio-economical progress of the society itself.

7. Bibliography

On language transcription

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1977, Le sängö s'écrit aussi... «Coll. TO no. 24 SELAF, Paris 187 p.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1989b "Réflexions sur la graphématique" in Cahiers d’études africaines 89-90, pp. 169-174.

EDEMA A.B. et NDUKU K., 1993 : « Les variantes graphiques de l’IFA: un point de vue zaïrois», in Inventaires des usages de la francophonie. Nomenclature et méthodologies, Paris, AUPELF-UREF/John LIBBEY, Actualité Scientifique, pp. 355-372.

On language policies

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1980c "Linguistique africaine et idéologie impérialiste" in Etudes sango no. 3, Institut de Linguistique Appliquée, Bangui, pp 1-19 (partie 1).

RENARD Raymond, 2000. Une éthique pour la francophonie : Question de politique linguistique. Didier Erudition, Paris, 357 pages.

On terminology and neology

BRUMER J. (1991) : ... Car la culture donne forme à l’esprit. De la révolution cognitive à la psychologie culturelle, (translated from the English by Yves Bonin), Paris, Georg Eshel.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1991 "Terminologie et développement linguistique: pour une meilleure communication des connaissances." in Terminologies nouvelles No. 6, Acte du séminaire " Terminologie et Développement " 1ère partie, Rabat, juin 1991. RINT, pp. 13-14.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1996 : "La métaphore comme base culturelle de conceptualisation et source de néologismes terminologiques" in Questions de glottopolitique : France, Afrique, Monde méditerranéen. Published by Amèle KATCHOURI, Fabienne LECONTE, Maman MALLAM GARBA, Nicolas TSEKOS, University of Rouen, URA CNRS 1164 / Formation doctorale des Sciences du Langage. Pp. 187-193.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1998 a : "Le signifié et le concept dans la dénomination" in La mémoire des mots (under the direction of André CLAS, Salah MERI, and Taïeb BACCOUCHE). Actes du Colloque de Tunis, 25-27 September 1997. AUPELF-UREF. Pp. 217-227.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1989c "Contexte sociologique centrafricain des travaux terminologiques" in Terminologies nouvelles no. 3, Actes du séminaire sur l’harmonisation des méthodes en terminologie (Talence, June 1989 – Hull, December 1989) , pp ; 35-36

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1992a "Importance de la traduction dans l’aménagement linguistique de la République Centrafricaine" in CLAS A. Et SAFAR H. L’Actualité scientifique : L’environnement traductionnel, le poste de travail du traducteur de l’an 2001. Conference at Mons Sept. 1991; AUPELF, PUQ, pp. 301-304.

DIKI-KIDIRI, M., 1998d "La diversité dans l’observation de la réalité", conférence donnée à l’Institut Universitari de Linguistica Aplicada (IULA), University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona (Spain), 12-19 July, 1997.